If you spend much time in West Seattle, you may have driven right past Kenyon Hall, located on 35th Avenue SW near SW Kenyon Street, and not realized that the small, nondescript building with the red door is one of the city’s true musical hidden gems.
The wooden hall looks deceptively like a family home on a drive-by, but its focus on gathering neighbors actually dates back to 1916, when it was called the Olympic Heights Social Hall and was renowned far and wide for its dances, music performances, and community theater. More than 100 years later, Kenyon Hall continues the work of community-connecting events by nurturing relationships not only with neighbors, but also with local artists and performers.
What does connection look like?
Earlier this year, Kenyon Hall co-produced “Bach & Pancakes” with musician and community organizer Erin Jorgensen. West Seattle’s Locöl Kitchen & Bar made and served pancakes while 25 local musicians of all ages each offered their unique take on a favorite Bach composition.
Some were, “Very classical instrumentations and at other times [musicians used] new technologies or avant-garde interpretations of the manuscripts,” Kenyon Hall Operations Director Murphy Janssen recalled. For nearly three hours, families, kids, elders, and singles were rapt, eating and listening from seats or picnic blankets laid on the hall floor in front of the hall’s historic Wurlitzer organ and tiny stage.
Such gatherings are about more than listening to music.
“We are able to find, and even engender, feelings of purpose that are so essential to being human,” said Janssen. “We are committed to supporting the artistry that is so vibrant in this community.”
Kenyon Hall Music School welcomes young musicians and experts. (Image: Courtesy Kenyon Hall)
Janssen said the organization’s definition of community encompasses everyone, from families and young people to seniors and individuals, from diverse cultural backgrounds. Kenyon Hall has always been an all-ages venue. And, it always has a finger on the pulse of emerging musical expression.
“As times change, we need to be creative in preserving musical history while keeping an ear to the ground about how our youth are expressing themselves,” Janssen said.
The hall hosts band classes for local teens focusing on performance and original compositions. They also provide guidance on the “social dynamics of creating with the musicians around you,” Janssen said. Regularly scheduled free open-mics and jam sessions allow teens to practice what they’ve learned, and a monthly all-ages cabaret celebrates and supports LGBTQ teens, young adults, and their families. Events are held on weekends, often in the early evening or as matinees in keeping with the hall’s family-friendly mission.
Putting on a show at Kenyon Hall (Image: Kenyon Hall)
Janssen said Kenyon Hall plans to expand programming, including some early childhood education, comedy improv workshops, and exploratory methods of music education. “We aspire to bring a smile, spark an idea, and provide a safe space for those willing to give something new a try,” he said.
He stressed that accessibility is important: “With all of our programming, we strive to offer low- or no-cost options so that families of all kinds and income levels can participate in our community-building efforts.”
Join the effort: Support community and musician empowerment at Kenyon Hall at kenyonhall.org/donate.
